If you don't love me, pretend
by Storybelle
Summary: When Minto's family goes bankrupt she is forced to get a job for Shirogane modelling agency. There's a mysterious boss no on has ever met, Minto's new co-workers who are just a little strange and two beautiful models who are fighting for Minto's heart.


Everything was hopeless

Everything was hopeless.

Or at least, that's what Minto Aizawa decided at 8:49 this morning.

She leant back, sighing and titled her head up to glare at the beautiful spring blue sky. Everyone seemed so happy just as her life was crashing around her feet.

The young heiress – well, that she wasn't anymore. Her family was going bankrupt. The last few months Minto's life had changed dramatically: no more parties and sushi and champagne and designer clothes. Everything mattered now, was taken seriously. Minto's friends had rejected her phone calls and stopped speaking to her the day the bankruptcy had been announced in the papers. And then her boyfriend had said that they needed time apart. Several years or so.

So now she was sitting on a bench in a park in dowdy, plain clothes before she had a job interview. Broke, single and wearing really ugly shoes.

However her mother had arranged for her to get an interview at a modelling agency: one of the newest models needed an assistant – Minto translated this as _slave_ – and it was either this or stacking shelves.

Worse, Minto had met some models before, back when her life still sparkled. She didn't know the name of the model who she might be working for but she prayed it wasn't...

Her brown eyes flicked down to her wrist and then widened in dismay. It couldn't be that late! She'd just sat here dreaming for a full 10 minutes?

Minto raced through the park, for once grateful she wasn't in heels. She was heading for the tall building two blocks down, surrounded by paparazzi and limos bringing models and their entourage to and from headquarters: the Shirogane modelling agency building.

"I'm...here...for the...model's assistant interview?" gasped Minto desperately, bent over because of the stitch in her side.

The secretary raised an eyebrow. She clearly thought Minto didn't belong here but she showed no other emotion other than professional indifference.

"Name?" she barked.

"Oh...Minto Aizawa." The secretary patiently searched for it on the computer while Minto not so patiently shifted from foot to foot.

"Oh, here you are. 5th floor, room 504. Miss Ichigo Momomiya will see you at quarter past. Please don't be late." And then she looked back down to the pile of forms in front of her as though Minto was no longer there.

Minto paused for a moment. Wondering if she dared ask where the elevator was or even who the model the assistant's position was for but the secretary continued to ignore her so she spun on her heel and went looking for the elevator herself.

She found it soon after...well, she found it and then she found a person to walk into.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Are you alright?" Minto bent down to help the young woman she'd just knocked over.

As she spoke the other woman – she didn't look very old, about Minto's age – gasped slightly, out of pain, shock or fright.

"Yes! Yes, I'm fine," she said in a whisper soft voice.

Fright then. Minto leant down on her knees and continued to gather the papers scattered all over the floor. Behind them the secretary cleared her throat in annoyance and the girl dropped them again in alarm.

"Here," Minto said, pushing a pile of papers into her frail fingers and then reaching for her hand and helping her up.

She had long hair tied up in plaits down the side of her head and bangs that shielded her face. Her eyes were hidden by large glasses but Minto could see that they were a very pretty shade of blue and quite wide and innocent. Her face was thin and scared: her entire posture suggested submission. She wore a similar outfit to Minto, white blouse, a skirt down to her knees and a creamy cardigan.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Minto asked again when the girl stuttered and then pushed her glasses further up her nose.

The girl nodded silently. "Yes, I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what? It was my fault."

"No, I wasn't looking where I was going. I did it again and now I'll be late and she'll be mad at me..." the girl continued to quietly mutter to herself but Minto got impatient.

"I'm Minto Aizawa. Pleased to meet you." After all why not? If she was going to work here she'd need some friends (even if they weren't like her old one...well, who needed her old friends anyway?) and she seemed nice if a little shy.

"Oh!" The girl seemed surprised that Minto was offering her hand out to her and gingerly took it. "Lettuce Midorikawa. Do you work here?"

"Not yet. Do you?"

"Yes," Lettuce said softly, never raising her voice beyond the softest murmur. "I work here as..."

"Excuse me!" the shrill voice of the secretary caused everyone in the lobby to look up. "You two girls! Can you please stop hanging around in the lobby? And don't you both have somewhere to be?"

"Oh damn! My interview!" cursed Minto. She clasped Lettuce's hand again – an oddly familiar gesture for her but there was something about that girl... – and said a hurried goodbye before dashing to the elevator.

­­­

"Am...I...late?" Twice in one morning she'd had to run like a mad person. And she'd gotten lost.

The girl at the table turned around...and then bounced across the room.

"No! I was late too...I always am. Don't you just hate mornings? I just love sleeping! Aah, you look tired, you poor thing. Water? Sit down, I'm still all over the place! Still eating breakfast, see?"

Minto did see. Her energy was dizzying. But who ate a tuna sandwich for breakfast?

"Water would be great, thank you," she said gratefully, taking a seat in the chair nearest the door. The strange person handed her an ice cold bottle of water from a mini-fridge and she opened it quickly.

"So, you must be Minto Aizawa, right? I'm Ichigo Momomiya!"

This new person was very cute: her teeth were sharp and pointed and were revealed when her mouth opened very wide in a grin or laugh of some kind.

Her hair was up in bunches and held up with red ribbons. Her eyes were very big and almost manga-sized surrounded by thick lashes. She darted from place to place so quickly and then she just gave up and collapsed like she was suddenly exhausted. And what was with the milk she was drinking?

Great. Her employer was a nutjob.

"So you know the position is for a model's assistant, right? That doesn't include organising venues and things, the company does that. And she has a separate person to organise which parties she needs to appear at and such. But if she wants something you get it for her, ok? Drinks on set, new shoes..." Ichigo continued to list the things the position required. "So, when can you start?"

Minto accidentally spilt some of her water. "What? I don't need an interview?" She searched for tissues and pulled some out of a box on Ichigo's desk.

Ichigo laughed, like ringing bells. When she did so her teeth bared and her eyes sparkled mischievously like she had a joke no one else knew. "No! Your family donated so much money and sponsored so many events in the past that the company decided you should just have it! That's not what they told me obviously...about how you fit the profile, you know how the whole socialite thing works, wah wah wah...anyway welcome!"

Minto opened and shut her mouth silently. "Uh...thanks. But who do I work for?"

Ichigo started. "Did I not tell you? No? My bad! It's the same model I work for so we'll be working together! She's Shirogane's new favourite model..." But then she was interrupted by a furious screech and a door slammed open.

"Ichigo! You lazy good for nothing!!" The girl in the doorway had reddish-brown eyes and long fairy-tale blonde hair. Long ribbons streamed out of her hair and down her back. She was pretty but her face was scrunched up in a scowl. She was taller than Minto and wore a black flick out skirt with pink edges and a white shirt with a black waistcoat. She was holding a pair of white leather boots in one hand. Minto tried to make herself smaller when she saw her.

"Oh hello, Berry-chan," Ichigo said calmly as if there had been no screaming or slamming.

"Ichigo! I told you to get me pink boots! I specifically asked you to get me _pink_ boots."

"Yes, but I don't work for you, Berry-chan," Ichigo said.

"My assistant is colour blind. Fire her and get me a new one."

Ichigo sipped her milk. "I can't. She does her work fine. Ask someone else to get the boots then."

"I did! I asked you!"

"I'm not your assistant, Berry. You have crowds of people who would willingly get you boots. Dozens of pink boots."

"But I want you to work for me," Berry said. "Why do you have to work for her anyway?" Minto sighed in relief quietly. She wasn't working for Berry then.

However the slightest disturbance caught Berry's attention.

"Minto!" She squealed. "Hello! I'm so sorry to hear about your tragic little problem. What a shame. You're not working for me are you?" Ichigo interrupted.

"No, she's Fujiwara-san's new assistant. The one we hired when she first started moved to America." Berry let go of Minto like she was contagious.

"Oh. Her new assistant. Poor you. Must dash! People to adore me. Byee!" And Berry left in a vanilla scented cloud.

Ichigo chuckled when Berry was gone. "You know Berry Shirayuki then?"

Minto grimaced. "Yeah. From parties and things. We have uh...history. So who is...Fujiwara–san?"

"Oh, Zakuro-chan!! She's amazing! She's new so you wouldn't have heard of her. But she's gonna be really big, she's so pretty! You'll meet her tomorrow, I forgot she's busy today with a meeting. Important but boring stuff. Bummer! We're all going to be great friends! You can go today but be here early tomorrow. There's nothing for you to do so see ya!"

And like that Minto was dismissed.

She trudged back to the elevator. At least she had the job. And it wasn't for Berry. Even if this place was full of people with animal like tendencies and weird habits.

But who was 'Fujiwara-san' that Ichigo worshipped so much?

Minto had never heard of her.

_She must be so new, that's why_ Minto mused. She pressed the button to call the elevator.

It arrived quickly and Minto hurried into it, hoping not to catch Berry again. There was one other person in it, a tall woman in the corner.

Minto stood away from her: everyone else here was clearly insane.

When the elevator hit the third floor it juddered slightly...and stopped.

"Ooooh, nooooo!" Minto wailed. She began pressing buttons when it creaked again and she shrieked.

"We're trapped in a small metal box and we're going to die!"

The woman stood silently behind her as she panicked. She wore ankle length black boots and a long dark coat. Her face was hidden by a large cowboy hat. Something glinted under the folds of material.

"We're not going to die," she said finally.

"What if we do?" demanded Minto.

"It'll be fixed. It must just be a malfunction or something," the woman continued calmly. Then the elevator shuddered and dropped several centimetres. Minto screamed again while the woman tightened her grip on her hat.

"It's not fair!" Minto wailed. "I'm only twenty three! And now I'm broke and my reputation has been ruined. I have no friends and my boyfriend said he wanted to take a break! What the hell do I have to live for?"

The woman in the hat was silent. "Maybe this is another chance for you."

Minto sniffed. "How? My life used to be fun! Now I'm all on my own and I'm wearing ugly shoes!"

The woman lowered her hat further down over her face and spoke softly but quickly. "Maybe it was showing you that you don't need money to be happy: you can find real friends and someone who loves you. Even if you're rich and famous you could be all alone."

Minto looked up at her. The glint around her neck was a beautiful cross on a chain. "Really? How would you know?"

The girl stiffened. "I just do, ok?" she snapped. The lift dropped again, startling Minto. She stumbled and fell into the strange woman, knocking them both to the floor.

"I'm sorry...I..." Minto rubbed her head, praying the lift had stopped moving. But the woman ignored her and picked up her hat from the floor where it had fallen.

"I'm just saying," she continued as if the past two minutes had never happened. "It's your choice about what you do with that chance. I want someone to really love me, not for what I do."

"Why? Who are you?" Minto began and then stopped.

The woman on the floor next to her was undoubtedly the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Her blue eyes were so piercing and startling, her face so pale and serious, full lipped with long, glossy, raven hair tumbling over her shoulders. She glanced at Minto once and then placed the hat back on her head, angling it over her eyes.

"You never saw me, ok?" she said in a husky voice that hid a thinly veiled threat. "I wasn't here."

"But I..."

"It's important. Please don't tell," she begged, a tiny crack appearing in her armour. Minto nodded silently, still seated on the floor.

And suddenly the elevator made a whirring noise and then smoothly started again.

When it reached the ground floor the woman stepped out briskly, hiding her face behind her hat and left without looking back. Minto got up carefully and was startled to realise she was trembling. Why should a strange girl in an elevator affect her so much?

She walked out and without looking at anyone there left the building, stepping out into the humid air of the busy street. The woman was no where in sight.

Minto sighed heavily and began to walk home. It had been a long day.

And even worse she felt like fate was messing with her.

Changing her future by getting her a job for a mysterious model she had never seen.


End file.
